Howick and Pakuranga Times : Howick and Pakuranga Times Thursday August 7 2014

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Howick and Pakuranga Times, Thursday, August 7, 2014 — 5
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By Chris harrowell
NEW migrants living in South-
East Auckland are being tar-
geted by scammers claiming
to work for Inland Revenue (IR).
Detective sergeant Simon Beal,
of Counties Manukau Police, says
at least 30 East Auckland residents
are known to have been contacted
by the scammers.
Recent migrants and business
owners are being targeted.
Victims are told the New Zea-
land Government wants to give
them a tax refund for being a good
citizen.
“Anyone who receives a phone
call from IR or any other govern-
ment department should check
its website for the official phone
number,” says Mr Beal.
“If people are unsure the phone
call is legitimate, they should hang
up and double check by calling the
department or organisation back
using the phone number provided
online.”
Phone calls have been made to
victims that appear to originate in
Auckland or Wellington, but are
actually routed through an inter-
net computer server in India or
Malaysia.
The scammer asks the victim to
prove they are a good citizen by
making a payment or donation to
an overseas bank account through
a money transfer service such as
Western Union.
“That is something Inland Rev-
enue would never do,” says Mr
Beal.
“Anyone asked to make pay-
ments through money transfer
services should be wary.”
Mr Beal says police believe the
scam has been operating for more
than a year and he is aware of peo-
ple who have sent the scammers
money.
“They seem to be targeting peo-
ple who haven’t been in New Zea-
land for very long,” he says.
How the scammers identify
new migrants living in South-East
Auckland is unknown, but they
may be using an online phone book
through “trial and error”, says Mr
Beal.
“They use phone numbers that
appear to be legitimate, but are
not.
“The obvious thing for people
is that Inland Revenue won’t have
any problem about someone phon-
ing back when it makes contact.
“IR will never ask for money
before paying a tax rebate.
“If a person is asked to send
money overseas, that should send
alarm bells ringing.”
Mr Beal says police are also aware
of a scam where a victim receives a
phone call warning them they will
be arrested or deported from New
Zealand unless they make a pay-
ment to Inland Revenue.
“Some victims have been told
to buy Prezzy Cards, load money
onto them, and disclose their secu-
rity numbers to the scammer over
the phone,” he says.
“Residents should be wary of
any unknown person who calls
and asks for money.
“Inland Revenue will never
knock on a person’s door or
call them asking for credit card
details.
“People should never give their
credit card details over the phone
and they should phone the police
if suspicious of someone who has
called or visited them.”
People who may have fallen vic-
tim to scammers claiming to work
for Inland Revenue can phone
Counties Manukau Police’s finan-
cial investigation team on 261-
1300, or the free and anonymous
Crimestoppers tip-off line on
0800-555 -111.
“Residents should
be wary of any
unknown person
who calls and asks
for money.”
–
Detective sergeant
Simon Beal
BEING ALERT: Counties Manukau Police detective sergeant Simon Beal, left,
pictured with police constable Lauren Harding-Parkins, is asking the public to
avoid several new illegal scams.
Times photo Wayne Martin
Scams targeting migrants Victim helps
to catch thief
By Chris harrowell
THE victim of an alleged burglary stopped
a thief from fleeing the crime scene by
blocking in their getaway vehicle.
The female victim arrived at her house
in Cascades Road, Pakuranga, at about
11.30am on July 30. She found a motor
vehicle unknown to her in the driveway
and parked behind it, stopping its driver
from being able to leave.
Senior sergeant Mike Schmidt, Counties
Manukau East Police response manager,
says: “The two alleged offenders were
disturbed by the victim as she returned
home.
“She phoned police straight away and
we had officers there within minutes.”
A 43-year-old woman from Manurewa
was arrested at the scene. A man she had
been with at the Cascades Road home left
the crime scene on foot.
The 34-year-old Manurewa resident
was caught and arrested by police last
Saturday.
“The only way we can prevent
crime is for police and the community
to work together,” says Mr Schmidt.
“We encourage the public to report all
suspicious activity, no matter how trivial
it may seem at the time. In this case we
had police officers in the area and they
managed to get both alleged offenders.
“They made the second arrest through
inquiries and leads that developed and did
a great job. It was old-fashioned police
work.”
Police have charged the two Manurewa
residents with burglary and they are
before the courts. Mr Schmidt says the
pair gained entry to the victim’s Cascades
Road home by trying to force open a
window at the back of the property.
“They then jemmied open a back door,
which was locked,” he says. “Stolen were
a large flat-screen television and a Sony
PlayStation gaming console. We want
people to phone police when they see
something suspicious and try to look out
for each other.”
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